


Shine Bright

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Coulson loves Skye, F/M, Gen, Healing, Protective women, Season 2, Skye loves Coulson, Speculation, Subtle flirting, UST, ops - Freeform, planning, turning the tables
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-31
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2018-02-15 13:37:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2231037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Watching the Season 2 promo and getting nervous about the dark spot the heroes find themselves in.  So, I wrote a speculative fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shine Bright

 "The light shines brightest in the darkness."

"That sounds like something one of the nuns used to say," she said.

"Sorry, I'll put on my best nun voice next time I try to cheer you up."

"If you're going to say stuff like that," she said, stepping closer to him, "You'd better act like _you_ actually believe it."

"We had a setback, that was all," Coulson said softly, looking up at the massive screen of the situation room.

"Someone is feeding Ward information from inside the prison," Skye said, bitterly.

"That means that they probably intend on retrieving him," Coulson said. "He's an asset to them."

"Obviously," she said with frustration. "He knows everything about us, our weaknesses, how we design ops, what we eat for breakfast..."

"He doesn't know what _I_ eat for breakfast," Coulson said, eyebrows raised, glancing up from the tablet in his hand.

"Good, you're joking," she huffed. "That seems almost... _normal_."

His eyes went soft for a moment as he stared back at her.

"Skye, you had no way of knowing, he gave us actionable intel. If anything, you should blame me, I approved the op."

"It's just...I had the chance," she said, shutting her eyes for a moment, thinking back to Mike, the Bus, Ward's heart, stopped. "And, I didn't take it."

Coulson put the tablet down on the station next to him.

"Would you... _now_?" he asked.

They stared at each other for a long moment.

Coulson gave a slight smile, placed his hand against the side of her face.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he said, voice full of emotion.

"They're _testing us_ ," she said, angrily, her hand touching his wrist, bringing it away from her face.

"Yes," he said, his eyes hovering on her as he felt his hand back at his side, but Skye's fingers brushing against his.

"Stop being so unprofessional, Director," she smirked at him.

"And here, I thought I was just being comforting?" 

As May stormed into the command center, Coulson touched Skye's hand briefly before pulling away.

"Director," she said tersely. "What are we going to do about Ward?"

"I'm open to suggestions," he said to May, glancing over at Skye.

"This isn't just about him," May said through her teeth. "We need his handlers. It's time he learned _just_ what we are capable of."

"We need something he wants," Skye started, looking at May, "Something that will make him slip up."

" _No,_ " Coulson said, steely, looking at May, then at Skye. "Out of the question."

"He thinks I need the information Raina has on me. On my past. He doesn't know you shared it with me," Skye began.

"Ward already dropped those breadcrumbs when we went in the first time," May said.

Coulson stared back at May. He was still angry about her leaving Skye alone in the room with Ward while she observed.

Yes, he had confidence in her training, he'd heard reports from May and Trip. Partly sad he wasn't there to see it with his own eyes, to share in it with her and the team.

"If this is how you want to play it, then I'm suiting up," Coulson said to May.

Skye and May exchanged a look.

"Again, sir," said May. "I think that's an unnecessary risk. We know they're after you. They're _looking_ for you."

"Maybe if you stop treating me like I'm something that breaks easily?" he said, raising his voice.

"Coulson, none of us are in the position to rebuild SHIELD. If we lost you in the field..." Skye started.

"May might think she gets away with that sort of thing, but I expect more from you," he said, angry, looking over at her.

"Want to explain why having you there changes things?" May asked, eyebrow raised.

Coulson began to pace a little, thinking.

"One: if they are after me, Ward is there, watching me. First-hand intel that I'm alive and as to my emotional state. They'll like that."

Skye tried to hide a slight smile as he stared her down.

"Second: we let Ward see me the way _we want_ Ward to see me. Something that will make him feel like they have some sort of angle to use against me."

"And that looks like?" May said.

"Her," he said, looking at Skye. "Her in control and me agitated, losing it, the way Garrett did."

Skye nodded. "He doesn't respect women in positions of authority," she agreed, looking at May.

"His comments about Romanov and Maria," Coulson began. "Crossing off Hand in front of Garrett."  He gestured to May.  "His threat to Skye when she stood up to him," he said sharply.  "And the way he talked and acted towards you when he tried to cross you off."

" _Tried_ ," she said sternly. "You think it will provoke him," May said.

"Yes," Coulson said, shrugging. "He's a misogynist and a real asshole. He's _HYDRA_."

May paused, considered it.

"I'm in."

"Good," Coulson said. "Skye and I will begin designing the op. We'll reconvene at 0800 for debriefing, bring in Fitz and Simmons, see if they have anything that can help us."

"I'll leave the two of you to it, then," May said, glancing at Skye with a smile, then turning, walking away.

"Back in the field again," Skye said, stepping up to Coulson. "You practically have stars in your eyes."

"I'm not used to getting my way so much these days," he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling a bit.

"I know you didn't want me to see him again," she said, eyes travelling over his face. "I know you objected."

"I have my reasons," he said, turning his eyes down for a moment before letting them flick back up to hers.

"I know," she nodded, shifted her posture at the intensity of his stare. "But, it was important. For me."

"And so, it's important to me," he said.

"I want you to shine bright, Skye."

"Are you being _super corny_ again?" she teased.

"No."

Skye looked at him considering.

"You know what would drive him really insane?"

Coulson looked concerned and shook his head as Skye leaned up and whispered in his ear.

His eyebrows raised up into his forehead, his ears began turning pink.

" _Skye._ "

"It's just a thought."

"We'd have to make it look very convincing," he said as she watched the smile crawl across his face, the wheels turning.

" _Very._ "

They paused to look at one another, her smiling as he chuckled a little.

"I don't think that will be a problem," he added.

He swung his arm around her and grabbed the tablet.

And then they went to work.


End file.
